Cap for aerosol container



Jul?! 969 EIICHI KIMURA 3,454,200

' I CAP FOR AEROSOL CONTAINER I Filed Oct. 23, 1967 I I INVENTOR.

.Eiic hi Kimu'ro BY I v i v rronusx United States Patent U.S. Cl. ZZZ-402.1 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cap for an aerosol container which has a valve button extending upwardly from the center thereof having a nozzle extending outwardly from the valve button and a head portion and a sealing rim on the upper part of the container, the cap having a concave upper surface with a center guiding wall defining a central opening adapted to receive the valve button, depending inner and outer cylindrical walls adapted to engage the head Portion and sealing rim respectively of the container, a longitudinal opening extending through the inner and outer cylindrical walls and the guiding'wall communicating with the central opening, and a finger slot in the upper surface extending from the outer cylindrical wall to the central opening and located on the opposite side of the cap from the longitudinal opening.

The present invention relates to a cap for an aerosol container and more particularly to an improved cap for an aerosol container which permits opening and closing of the dispensing valve by means of a single finger act10n.

Heretofore various types of aerosol container caps have been proposed and used which require removal of the cap when the aerosol is used. Further, in using the previous caps and containers it is not readily apparent in which direction the spray will go when the valve is depressed.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved cap for an aerosol container that is doubly secured thereon and does not require its removal for use of the aerosol.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cap for an aerosol container which permits the valve to be operated by means of a single finger, and yet when dropped the valve cannot open.

These and other objects of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the subject cap;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view thereof; and

FIGURE 3 is a view in sectional elevation of the device embodying the present invention, taken as indicated by the line which appears in FIGURE 1.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the body of the aerosol container having a head portion 12 thereon surrounding the valve button 14 which extends upwardly from the container. A sealing rim 16 is located on the shoulder portion of the container below and outwardly from the head portion 12. The valve button 14 has a nozzle 18 protruding outwardly therefrom at one side thereof. The numeral 20 refers to the cap for the container.

The cap 20 may be molded from a plastic composition or the like, and is constructed with a concave upper surface 22 having a centrally located guiding opening 24 therethrough adapted to receive the upper end of the valve button 14 so that the valve button 14 and the surface 22 of the cap are at approximately the same level. Extending downwardly from the guiding opening 24 is a guidice ing wall 26. Concentric to the guiding wall 26 and out wardly therefrom is an inner cylindrical wall 28 and an outer cylindrical wall 30 which constitutes the side wall of the cap. The inner cylindrical wall 28 is of a diameter adapted to engage the circumferential edge of the head portion 12 of the container lightly. The outer cylindrical wall 30 is adapted to fit securely within the sealing rim 16 on the shoulder portion of the container.

A longitudinal or radial opening 32 is located on one portion of the side wall and extends through the guiding Wall 26, the inner cylindrical wall 28 and the outer cylindrical wall 30, and communicates with the guiding openings 24. The radial opening 32 is defined by an annular frusto-conical wall. A finger slot 34 is formed in a concave shape in the upper surface 22 of the cap, extending from the upper part of the outer cylindrical wall 30 located at the opposite side thereof from the longitudinal opening 32 to the guiding wall 26.

In using the cap of the present invention, the cap is pressed downwardly onto the container 10, inserting the valve button 14 into the guiding opening 24 of the cap in such a manner that the nozzle 18 is positioned within the opening 32. The circumferential edge of the head portion 12 fits within the inner cylindrical wall 28 and the outer cylindrical wall 30 fits within the sealing rim 16 on the shoulder of the container. Thus, the cap is secured in two places with the valve button 14 exposed within the finger slot 34, being at the same level as that of the concaved top of the cap.

After the cap 20 has been installed, a finger can be placed in the finger slot 34 and over the valve button 14. When pressure is applied to the valve button 14 it is pushed down along with the nozzle 18 which is adapted to move freely up and down within the longitudinal opening 32. Downward movement of the valve button 14 opens the valve thereby releasing a spray of the contents of the can through the nozzle 18. When the finger pressure is removed, the valve button 14 will move upwardly due to the pressure of a spring positioned within the valve, thereby returning the valve button 14 to its original position and closing the valve.

As described above, this device is different from the conventional type of aerosol container, in that it does not require removal of the cap when in use, and the direction of spray is readily understood by placing a finger within the finger slot. Thus, it can be actuated by means of a single finger action. Its installation onto the container is doubly secured by means of the inner and outer cylindrical walls. Therefore, there is no danger whatsoever of the cap coming off when the container is tipped over, etc. Furthermore, even in the case of the container being dropped and unexpectedly being turned upside down, there is no danger of the valve opening, because the top is concaved. The device is simple in construction and suitable for mass production and has many practical advantages.

It will be understood that the descriptive designations upper and lower and similar terms used herein refer to the drawings and not to the orientation of the cap for the aerosol container itself, since the cap for the container may be used in any position.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification.

What is claimed is:

1. A cylindrical cap for an aerosol container provided with a valve button extending upwardly therefrom having a nozzle extending outwardly from said valve button and said container having a head portion spaced outwardly from the valve button and a sealing rim located'on the 3 outer shoulder portion of the container, said cap comprising an upper surface, a centrally located guiding wall extending downwardlyfrom the upper surface of the cap and defining a central axial opening in the cap adapted to receive said valve button therein, an inner cylindrical wall concentric and spaced outwardly from said guiding walland of a diameter capable of tightly engaging said head portion of the container, an outer cylindrical wall concentric and outwardly spaced from said inner cylindrical wall and of a diameter capable of fitting within the sealing rim of the container, said inner and outer cylindrical walls extending downwardly from the upper surface of said cap, an annular wall defining a radial opening extending through said inner and outer cylindrical walls and a slot in said guiding wall, both communicating with said central opening, and both being adapted to receive said nozzle, and a finger slot in said upper surface extending from the outer cylindrical wall to said central opening said slot being located at the side of said cap opposite to said radial opening.

2. A cap in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upper surface is concave.

3. A cap in accordance with claim 1 wherein said radial opening is generally frusto-conical.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,006,510 10/1961 Sagarin 222402.13 3,144,175 8/1964 ODonnell 222402.13 3,156,382 11/1964 Michell ZZZ-402.13 X 3,269,614 8/1966 Abplanalp ZZZ-402.13 3,341,082 9/1967 Meshberg 222402.16 X

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

